Denmark: Meatballs, Caraway Cabbage and Fruit Dumplings

Hi, everyone. This is Olivia, and this week we traveled to Denmark for my World of Food series.

I came across Denmark when my Social Studies teacher made us memorize all of the 40 countries in Europe. So now, if you ask me where it is on a map, I can tell you.

I have funny ways of memorizing things. For instance, to remember the capital of Kansas I think " they make tapioca pudding in Topeka, Kansas." To remember where Denmark is on the map I just think of World War 1. During WWI the German soldiers had a point on their hat, and if you look at the map Denmark is the point on top of Germany.

See what I mean!

Here's one thing I didn't learn at school about Denmark: Denmark is the happiest place on earth. The scientists even say so! I learned this on YouTube. If you don't believe me, just watch the video.




So now for some background about Denmark. The capital is Copenhagen. The terrain is low and flat or slightly rolling. The population is about 5,557,700. Ethnic groups include: Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, Turkish, German, Polish, Iraqi, Lebanese, Bosnian, Pakistani, Yugoslav (former), Somali, Iranian, Vietnamese, British, and Afghan. If you would like to know more just go to this website.

I did a lot of research on Danish food and decided to make Danish Meatballs a.k.a. Frickadeler, Caraway Cabbage a.k.a. Hvidkål med Kommen, and Fruit Dumplings a.k.a. Frugtboller.

Danish Meatballs (Frickadeler)

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground veal (we don't eat veal, so we just used ground beef)
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/4 cup milk, or as needed
• 1/4 cup finely grated onion (we used shallots since we had them)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs, or as needed
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup seltzer water (we didn't use this)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup margarine (we used unsalted butter) 

Oh, onions how you make me cry? Please stop!

Meatballs look like brains!


Directions

Mix the veal and pork together in a bowl,

Gosh, this is so cold!

Stir in the milk, onion, and egg. Mix the bread crumbs into the meat. Sprinkle in the flour, and knead well to mix. Stir in the seltzer water, season to taste with salt and pepper, and mix well. The mixture should be very moist, but not dripping.

Chill the meat mixture for 15 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator, to make the meatballs easier to form. Heat the margarine in a large skillet over medium heat.

To form meatballs, scoop up about 2 1/2 tablespoons of meat mixture with a large spoon, and form the mixture into a slightly flattened, oval meatball about the size of a small egg. Place the meatballs into the heated skillet, and fry for about 15 minutes per side, until the meatballs are well-browned and no longer pink in the center.


Caraway Cabbage (Hvidkål med Kommen)

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds shredded cabbage
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup cream
• ½ teaspoon salt
• White pepper -- to taste
• 1 teaspoon caraway seed

Dear Caraway seeds,


Why do you look like ants? Also, why do you taste like them too?


Love, Olivia

Directions

Cover the cabbage with cold water. Chill 2 hours. Drain. Cover with boiling water and simmer 5 minutes. Drain well.

Combine the rest of the ingredients and milk lightly with the cabbage. Bake in a buttered baking dish 30 to 40 minutes in a preheated 350º oven, or until browned on top.


Fruit Dumplings (Frugtboller)

Makes 12

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs -- beaten
• 1 cup milk
• Peaches, black cherries, plums, apricots
• Flour
• Melted butter
• Cottage cheese
• Sugar
• Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

Add the beaten eggs to the milk. Add to the flour mixture and blend well. Dough should be stiff enough to handle.

Wash and dry the fresh fruit you have selected. Remove pits. Roll fruit in ehough additional flour to coat each piece thoroughly. Coat your hands with flour and cover each piece of fruit completely with a ¼-inch layer of dough. Pinch the edges firmly together.

Drop dumplings into rapidly boiling salted water. Cover and let cook until fruit is tender when pricked with a toothpick - 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve dumplings with melted butter, cottage cheese and a sprinkling of sugar.

Dear Dumplings,


Don't make my mom have to make you again because you're not perfect. Please! By the way you look like goop.


Love, Olivia

Now drumroll please.....

The finished product:

Reviews: